


Concede

by Devils Advocate 7 (Fear1LessLeader7)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Altered Mental States, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Gen, Gold is a douche, Henry is a Little Shit, Magic, Magic Being Used to Hurt, Regina centric, Regina getting the short end of all the sticks, The term "Good Guys" is subjective, double standards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 11:17:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12131301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fear1LessLeader7/pseuds/Devils%20Advocate%207
Summary: 1. to acknowledge as true, just, or proper; admit.2. to acknowledge (an opponent's victory, score, etc.) before it is officially established.3. to grant as a right or privilege; yield.Collection of One/Two-Shots about people giving up.Marked complete, but I'll add more as I write them.Cross posted on FF.net under Devil's Advocate 7





	1. I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story takes place between Emma's return from the past and Elsa's arrival. Keep in mind the plot was created before anything about Elsa was revealed.
> 
> Assume the only thing we know about Elsa is that she is in Storybrooke, but the residents don't know.
> 
> We are going to ignore the Regina/Robin Hood soulmate stuff; assume canon unless stated otherwise.

 

There was a fire. People were trapped. What else was she supposed to do? As much as they annoyed her, Regina couldn't leave Snow and Belle inside the burning building. The burning library. Belle would have haunted her for not stopping the building from burning to the ground.

After seeing the look on his face, she could do nothing more than walk away. Regina put her burning hands in her pockets and walked away from the still smoking building. She ignored the paramedics trying to treat the burns she sustained running into the building to save her former step-daughter and the Dark One's wife. Tears pricked her eyes as she walked away from her son, no Emma's son, he made that clear a long time ago. The angry look in his eyes, forced her to ignore her own pain, both the physical and the emotional.

She didn't understand. While she knew she didn't need Henry's approval for what she had done, she didn't understand why he was so upset. It had been the first time Regina had used magic for anything other than fighting a bad guy, in a long time. Why had she agreed to reinstate that "no magic promise"? Why was Henry so angry about her using magic to do good? She saved fricking Snow White, once again, while risking her own life, once again!

No. No more self-pity. No more questioning. What's done is done. Regina was finally ready to just let go. There was no winning. It was no use trying to fight. Trying to combat the logic of the good, the logic that kept her the eternal loser, the pointless.

Regina looked up when she saw wood under her feet. She had walked to the docks and had not even realized it. She felt a chill. Not the average Maine in fall chill. It was cold she hadn't felt in years, decades. It was distinct: the cold slipped up your spine and retreated just as quickly as it came, but left you with chills, it left you shivering from the sudden cold and the fear of what was to come.

She took another step forward before speaking, "Elsa."

The woman in blue smiled, she hadn't seen her friend in a very long time. Long before the dark-haired woman became the Evil Queen. "Regina."

The former Mayor relaxed a little at the familiar voice, the voice that always accompanied that familiar chill. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Elsa chuckled, "I'm not sure how I got to this odd town, but I can tell you that I was trapped inside of an urn. A now broken urn."

"Is that where you've been this entire time?" Regina asked, still not turning around to face her old friend. She had not seen Elsa since just before Snow left the kingdom. The mirror they had been communicating through had been covered in ice, by the time Regina had gathered the courage to talk to the other young woman after having her husband killed. She couldn't melt the ice on the mirror, nor could the Genie gain access to it, so Regina stored it in a hidden compartment of the wardrobe in her royal chambers- a wardrobe that now sat in a guest room of her mansion, locked and unused.

"Yes, after you told me about not being able to handle living with Leopold anymore and that you had a plan to end it, everything is blurry. The only thing I remember is Anna talking about our parents, then a blur of memories all ending with me being trapped in a magical urn, unable to break free."

The two remained a few feet apart. Regina was now accustomed to the cold that followed her friend.

"That is unfortunate." She didn't know what else to say. She couldn't apologize like some people would do- it had nothing to do with her, what happened to Elsa wasn't Regina's fault, and she had no advice to offer either. This Elsa knew, she didn't expect to hear much about her own predicament from Regina, nor did she expect Regina to tell Elsa her story, or at least what her current issue was.

Elsa takes a step towards the dark haired woman. "What do you need Regina?"

Regina dropped her head and stared at the wood beneath her shoes. In the back of her mind she marveled at the fact that they designer heels were undamaged aside from a little soot. She sighed before answering the blonde's question, knowing that the ice witch would be willing to do as much as she could to help Regina. "To leave," Regina straightened her spine and looked out over the slowly freezing water, "I need to leave. I cannot stay in this town any longer."

"What has happened here, Regina?"

"Oh, Elsa. If you only we had the time for me to tell you the story. You missed so much." Regina moved her head as if to look over her shoulder, but her eyes never ventured in Elsa's direction.

"Then I will help you." Elsa closed the distance between them in a few small steps. She placed her right hand on Regina's left shoulder and turned the other woman to face her. Regina head was bowed, but Elsa ignored it. The blonde grabbed hold of her friend's hands and slid her closed left fist between them. "Take this," Regina could feel the cold on her hand, but the chill didn't spread beyond her palm, "and go where you are needed."

"Where is that?"

"I don't know," Elsa placed her right hand on Regina's cheek, realizing this is the first time she had made physical contact with the other Queen, and tilted Regina's head up, so that Elsa could see her eyes. "But you will be wanted."

"How can you be so sure?" Elsa took a few steps back, slowly breaking contact with Regina.

"It's the way magic works. If you let it work on its own, it will guide you where you need to be, it will show you what to do."

Regina contemplated the blonde's words. She was willing to trust her friend. She had to trust her friend. She had nothing left. Regina nodded her head, "Okay. Thank you for this gift. I will repay you."

Elsa shook her head, "Consider this a gift from Fate for leaving you with that vile man for so long and not saving you from your mother."

Regina tensed. That was another familiar feeling: the feeling of the Saviour's magic coming towards her. "You must go. Unless you wish to be discovered by Snow White's daughter and possibly the rest of her family so soon."

Elsa merely nodded before disappearing in a flurry of snow.

Regina turned back to the water and moved towards the edge of the dock. She sat down as she heard Emma's boots hit the wood.

"Regina, what are you doing out here?" Emma's voice sounded nervous, like she was afraid of how Regina would react. "The medics told me you had some burns and possible smoke inhalation, you should go to the hospital to get checked out."

"No," Regina looked down at her dangling feet hanging several feet above the icy water. "How are Mrs. Gold and your mother?"

Emma was shocked by Regina's question, "Why are you asking?"

Emma's voice sounded closer. Regina chuckled dryly, "Of course, no one told you."

"Told me what?"

"That I was the one who pulled Snow and Belle from the building," Regina deadpanned.

"What?" No one had said a word to her about Regina saving them. The medics had tried to tell her what happened, but Gold and David kept pulling them away to treat their wives. Henry had been ranting about Regina and magic and how he thought she set the fire and how she broke her promise. "Henry said you used magic."

"Did he tell you what I used it for?" Regina scoffed. "No, of course he didn't."

Emma took another step forward; she was now only a few feet away from Regina. "Why are you sitting out here, Regina?" The brunette still didn't turn around.

"I can't do this anymore Emma." The sheriff was shocked by Regina calling her by name and the defeat in the other woman's voice. That was a statement Emma had bother heard and seen before and she was truly afraid of what Regina was planning to do.

"Can't-can't do what, Regina?

"Live like this, with the double standard. Everyone like to say 'villains don't get happy endings', yet Rumplestiltskin gets to not only have his True Love, he gets to marry her, and for a short time he had both his love and his son. They say the villains do not get to have happy endings, but it's more like everyone gets redemption except the Evil Queen.

"Hook handed me over to be tortured and tried to kill Rumple and he is forgiven with very little effort. Red killed many people in the Enchanted Forest as a werewolf, but that's okay because she's Snow White's BFF. Snow killed Cora, no Snow had me kill my own mother, but she was forgiven because she was sad." Regina sounded less defeated by the end of her rant.

Emma was speechless. It had never occurred to her that the others had not forgiven Regina; she thought they had finally let the past go and moved forward, but it seemed Regina was still feeling the weight of her sins, weights no one else was willing to lift.

After all of that Emma wasn't expecting Regina to continue. "Henry hates me once again. He hates me for using magic. I only used my magic to help, I was saving the lives of two people he cares about, because the fire fighters were too slow." Regina's shoulders slumped, as she gave another dry chuckle, "He would have hated me if I had just stood there like everyone else. If I had not used magic to help them, he would have blamed me for them being hurt or dead. He would have accused me of not caring about them and would have questioned why I didn't use my magic, completely ignoring the stupid promise I made not to use magic." Regina looked over her shoulder at Emma, "You and I both know it's true."

Emma unfortunately couldn't deny Regina's statement. Their son was picky about what he wanted from the brunette and was never satisfied with what he got, she was always in the wrong, even when she was clearly the hero in this situation- like today with the library fire.

Regina stood up, but stayed at the edge of the dock. Emma inched closer to the woman, never taking her eyes off the former mayor and keeping her hands in front of her. "Regina?"

"Hmm," the olive-skinned woman hummed in response. She kept her eyes on the water, her left fist clenched tightly. Emma could see the burns on Regina's hands, leading up her wrists.

"What are you thinking about?" Emma was hoping she could get Regina to articulate her thoughts, at least that way she might be able to come up with a way to help her.

"You can't help me now Emma." Well, there goes that plan.

Regina abruptly turned around to see Henry, Gold, Charming, Red, Hook, and newly healed Snow and Belle coming towards them. Emma followed Regina's line of sight and wondered how she missed the thundering footsteps of her family and friends on the snow covered ground. Wait, snow? It's only September.

Regina sneered before she turned back around to face the water. "I have never felt pride in giving up, in admitting that I can no longer fight for what I want; maybe I will feel some relief if I give up a war I was never destined to win," Regina said as she opened her hand and snow flew and spiraled down toward the water. She watched the glittery snowflakes that had been in her hand for who knows how long.

The moment the magical snow touched it, the water began to stir and twirl. A whirlpool had been created, but Regina knew better. It was a portal. Where it went, she didn't know nor did she care, she trusted what Elsa said, Regina would be wanted and needed.

Regina jumped. She leapt off the dock and hit the water feet first. Upon first contact the water was freezing cold, but she was quickly warmed as she neared the portal. The queen didn't bother swim or fighting against the pull of the water, nor did she release the breath she had taken when she jumped.

When Regina was pulled into the portal, when she had finally left the town of Storybrooke, the water froze. Emma who moved forward the second Regina's feet left the dock, stopped short at the edge. She looked down to see solid ice, rather than the typically chilly water.

Emma was scared. Regina was under there, saw was in the water, under a solid sheet of ice. And the woman had gone willingly. The blonde turned around to Gold, frantic.

"What just happened?!"

Like the rest of the group, Rumple was shocked and confused, "I don't know." His answer has quiet and stuttered.

Belle, seeing how stumped her husband was by what they had just witnessed, took charge of the group, "Let's all get out of this ungodly, unseasonable cold and head to the pawn shop. We can discuss this there."

* * *

 

When they all get to the shop, Rumple is surprised by what he sees, or who he sees rather.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed.

Elsa smirked at the old man and shifted slightly in the desk chair she was occupying. "I was released from my prison and decided to help a friend."

"You were released?" Gold was outraged, there was no way she should have been able to get out of that urn, no one even knew where it was.

"Who are you and what friend do you have here?" Charming stepped forward and tried to assert his authority.

Elsa chuckled, "You do not intimidate me, boy. I am a queen and I am not easily frightened. One cannot not be friends with Regina and be weak."

"You helped Regina do whatever she just did?" Elsa looked toward the blonde wearing the odd red jacket, then shifted her gaze to the young brunet boy the younger blonde had subtly pushed behind her.

"If you just came from the waters, then yes."

"Why?"

Rumple spoke before Elsa could answer, "How did you get out?"

Elsa decided to indulge the man; he wouldn't like the answer anyway. "As I said, Rumplestiltskin, I was released. Someone took the time to break your precious urn to pieces, effectively destroying my prison."

"No, no, no!" He refused to accept that someone had released her. How had anyone gotten near the urn in the first place? "I will fix it and you will be dealt with!"

Elsa chuckled darkly, "No, you won't. The urn is in pieces and the only way to fix it is for the Dark One to do it." Before Gold couldn't interrupt Elsa continued, "The one who created it; a feat that you did not achieve, current Dark One or not. I will not return to that stupid magical vase you trapped me in for no good reason!" Elsa added the last part as she stood and moved to stand face-to-face with Mr. Gold.

Belle was surprised to hear that her husband had kept a woman locked in an urn for what sounded like, based on the building tension and anger, a very long time. Right now, however, there was something, someone, a little more important to focus on. "We can come back to this later," the brunette gave a pointed look to her husband, before turning back to the mysterious blonde. "Who are you and how do you know Regina?"

Elsa nodded at Belle, appreciating her changing of the subject back to Regina. "My name is Elsa, Queen of Arendelle. I met Regina a long time ago, back when she first married, your father Snow White," Elsa shifted her icy gaze from Belle to the short haired brunette, who was trying to stand proudly behind her husband. "I was her confidant for years. Until something happened and I ended up trapped in the Dark One's urn. I have been in there for decades, Snow was still with Regina, the last time I saw my dear friend.

"Where is Regina?" Red figured it best to cut to the chase.

"I don't know," Elsa answered simply.

"How do you not know where your so-called friend is if you were helping her?" Hook asked. Elsa sneered at the man, her senses tell her to freeze him where he stood.

"I can tell you that she is not in this town, nor is she in the surrounding area," Elsa informed them. "That is not how my magic works."

"Your magic?" Henry questioned. "You gave my mom that magic dust? Why would you do that? You made it worse?"

Elsa's eyebrow rose with the volume and intensity of Henry's questions. "Yes, my magic. And no I did not give her dust, only those wretched fairies use dust. I use snow, it is an extension of my magic, and I mostly use it to allow other people to do things." Elsa turned her head to address the adults in the room, "My snow was used to take Regina somewhere she was needed. And that p[lace was clearly not here."

"Why would she just leave like that?" Snow asked, speaking for the first time.

"Your family, Snow," Elsa answered. "You all had a hand in Regina wanting to leave this place. As did you Rumplestiltskin," Elsa's eyes darkened as they fell on the sorcerer.

* * *

 

**Enchanted Forest**

They were at war. The Dark Kingdom was at war. King Midas and his new friend King Armand had attacked the queen-less kingdom, but the people fought in their queen's name.

Those outside the Dark Kingdom believed the woman to be evil; they thought she entertained herself by torturing and starving them. They were wrong. Queen Regina was the kindest and most fair ruler the entire land had seen decades. They prayed to their gods that the queen would return. The needed their leader back. She could lead them through this war, or simply put an end to it.

Everyone who was once under the rule of Queen Regina was in agreement, even those that had deflected to the White kingdom, before the queen could assert her authority. They left under the impression that the little bit that they had would be taken for the queen own selfish rules. They were proven wrong when they saw their former neighbors flourish and their farms and shops prosper as they struggled under Queen Snow and King David. Now they hoped for their former queen to come and help them through this war.

Has they fought and prayed and hoped, the sky above the Dark Palace opened up and a body fell. The people close to the palace ran back to see who the person now lying in front of the palace steps was. They stood stock still the person in the odd clothing stood with a groan. As the woman- that much was clear- stood straight the people were greeted with the beautiful face of their queen.

Cheers broke out amongst the tired, battered people. Regina upon hearing the cheers, realized that she was being accepted by her people once again.

Someone, a man in what appeared to be the remains of a noble guard's uniform, came up to her a bowed- the crowd following his lead.

"Your Majesty, my name is Aron Black. I am a guard of the nobles of your kingdom and your humble servant."

Regina could feel her pride returning, her fight flowing back into her veins. She stood tall and spoke with clear authority like the queen she was, like the queen her people needed, "Rise Guard Black." The shabby looking man rose to his feet, but kept his head bowed. "Can I assume that you are one of the people that have led these people through this war?" When the man nodded Regina smiled. "Tell me what my people need and you shall have it Knight Aron."

The man looked up surprised by his queen's nonchalant appointment of him to a knight. He gulped when he saw the mirth in the woman's eyes and quickly shifted his gaze back down to the buttons of her coat. Though his head was down, he spoke clearly, knowing that his promotion meant the queen trusted his judgment. "We are in need of healing supplies and food. The people have all been fighting and have not been able to care for their crops and animals properly. The farms have also been torn apart by Midas and Armand's forces. They outnumber us."

"Yet, this kingdom is still standing and fighting. That speaks to the heart and strength of these people," Regina looked over Aron's head and her eyes swept over the growing crowd of people, her people. "You all are the heart and strength of this kingdom. A queen is nothing without a people to lead and a people to fight for. Whatever you need you shall have."

A woman spoke up from the crowd, "We need you, your majesty! We need you to fight with us! You are the best leader any kingdom could ask for; we cannot do this without you!"

Regina's smile widened at the woman's words. She raised her hands and a red tinted violet smoke flowed through the crowd until the entire Dark Kingdom and its people were covered.

When the smoke dissipated, the people were clean and healed. The knights and guards were all wearing armor and carrying new blades and weapons. The pitchforks and farming tools and crudely made swords were exchanged for brand new swords to match those of the guards and knights. Piles of war axes and shields and swords sat a short distance from the guards posted at the front doors of the palace. Every person was sporting the Dark Kingdom's crest and/or symbol (an apple wrapped on vines) on their new clothing or armor.

Regina had taken Elsa's advice and allowed her magic to flow freely. The magic had assigned jobs to everyone. The homes of healers were stocked with medical supplies, the homes of merchants and farmers were stocked with food and the stable workers were giving carts so that the food could be delivered to the camps of the soldiers or to the injured in the villages.

As the people looked around them they rejoiced at having the materials and weapons and clothes and food. There were happy cries heard throughout the kingdom.

But over the happy cries Regina could hear horses. They were headed towards the palace. Regina, not knowing what to expect, magically pulled a sword to each of her hands and took up a defensive stand in front of the guard turned knight that should have been protecting her. As the horses cleared the trees that surrounded the palace village, the people's rejoicing got louder, much to Regina's confusion.

Aron moved to stand next to the queen before moving toward the knights sitting atop the several horses.

"Traitor Knights! You have returned!" Regina was even more confused about the name Aron had given the riders.

Regina watched the riders dismount and the leader moved to embrace Aron. After releasing each other, Aron pulled the new knight over to the queen. "Your majesty, this is Mulan." Regina looked over the knight, who was wearing what Regina recognized as ancient Chinese armor. Her brown eyes never left Regina. They stared at each other for several seconds, both wary of the other, before Mulan bowed at the waist to the queen.

Regina placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder, signaling for her to stand straight. "Knight Mulan, thank you."

A thank you was not what Mulan was expecting to receive from the lost queen of the Dark Kingdom.

"Thank you, knights," Regina said looking behind Aron and Mulan to the other knights still standing with their horses. "Come inside, there are things we need to discuss before we can end this war." With that she turned away from the warriors and walked through the now open doors of her palace.

Regina went straight for the meeting room on the first floor, seeing as how it was the largest of all the meeting rooms in the palace. She wasn't sure how many knights and guards had taken it upon themselves to lead her people in her absence. She took her seat on the small throne at the large round table and waited for the soldiers she knew would follow. The knights all entered the room in 2 straight lines and stood behind chairs, with the exception of Aron and Mulan. The warrior stood off to the side of the table and waited for the queen's signal to move; Aron deferred to Mulan for further instruction-he had never been in a war meeting before did not know how to proceed. Regina signaled for Mulan to sit in the closest chair to her right and for Aron to sit in the chair to her left. The other knights proceeded to sit after seeing their unofficial leaders do so.

"Where do you come from Mulan?" Regina decided to get straight to the point.

Mulan chuckled at the queen's bluntness, "I am from the Land Without Magic, I was pulled into a portal along with a some of my men while fighting a few years before you cast your curse."

"A few years? Your armor suggests you were from ancient China."

"I am. It seems that portals do not care about time," Mulan responded. "I am from what you would call Ancient China, the time of dynasties and the Huns. But I ended up in a time before you cast the Dark Curse."

"I see," Regina nodded. "I assume that you wish to stay in this land." Mulan merely nodded. "Ok, there are things regarding this war that we need to discuss."

* * *

 

"What's up with all the trash in the street?" Emma asked as she stepped in the Mayor's office, which her mother now occupied.

Snow huffed as she looked up from the messy pile of papers on the desk, "The sanitation department refuses to clean the streets. They said something about proper paperwork and signatures. I don't know what to do!" Snow yelled and flopped down into the leather chair behind the desk.

"Have you tried talking to them and asking what forms they needed?" Emma knew this was coming. She knew Snow wouldn't be able to handle taking Regina's place as Mayor. Snow refused to listen to Belle when the librarian told her that running the entire town wasn't like running a kingdom, nor was it going to be a simple job. Emma had heard about Belle almost losing her mind trying to run Storybrooke while the Charmings and Regina were in Neverland and she had seen some of the things Regina had to go through as Mayor.

"Yes! The y said they weren't going to do my job for me and if I didn't know what to do, I shouldn't have taken the job." Snow leaned on the desk with her head in her hands. "I ran a kingdom, why can't I seem to run this town?"

"Because this isn't a kingdom, Snow." Emma had been picking up the brunt of Snow's mistakes since Regina had been gone and the woman had been missing for almost a month. The sheriff was determined to make her mother see that they needed Regina here, not off somewhere else. Snow, however, was determined to make everyone see that Regina was nothing more than a placeholder for the real rulers- herself and her husband- and that Storybrooke was better off without the Evil Queen. "You can't just tell people to do things, because you want them done. That's not how this world works. You are the mayor not the queen. People don't have to do things just because you want them to or because you ask. You need to get yourself together and fill out those forms. These are people's jobs and lives. They didn't get paid for things like cleaning the roads in the Enchanted Forest, but here they do. If you're going to be the mayor, you need to make sure you do everything right, so the citizens of this town can get paid and live their lives."

"But why? What's wrong with just doing something because I ask? They see that it needs to be done, why don't they just do it anyway?"

Emma groaned. Why wasn't Snow getting this?! "I just told you. Those forms are a record of them doing their jobs. They need those forms, so that they can get paid. If you're not ready for this or you can't handle this- which it seems like you can't- then you need to let someone else do this."

Snow huffed and cross her arms, every bit the petulant child Regina said she was. "No, I can do this. I was born to do this. I am the leader of this town! I ran a kingdom!"

"Poorly, you ran a kingdom poorly." Mother and daughter turned around to see Kathryn Blue- the last name she had chosen for herself- standing in the doorway of the large office. She stepped towards the two other women and not bothering to close the door. "You might have been the Queen and people might have praised your name for saving them from George and the Evil Queen," Kathryn sneered as she said the last part, "but your kingdom was nowhere near as prosperous as Regina's and this town is falling to pieces just like the White Kingdom. You were born to rule, but unlike Regina, you weren't raised to rule."

"My kingdom did prosper!" Snow quickly rose to her feet, ready to defend her ability to rule.

"Compared to their state under George, the people did appear to be better off. In comparison to both of the kingdoms Regina ruled, meaning your father's and the Dark Kingdom, you had very little. You only saw what was close to you. The villages just outside the palace gates had wealth, but the other 80 percent of your kingdom did not. The same way everything outside the center of town is falling apart."

Snow rolled her eyes at the woman. Kathryn was Regina's friend; of course she would side with the witch. "What are you even doing here?" The blonde woman had been one of the first to protest when Snow announced she was going to take over the Mayoral post following Regina "fleeing the town". The short haired woman completely ignored the fact that Kathryn was the official Deputy Mayor and had every right to take over.

"I was asked to come speak to you about the lack of services being given to the people of this town. There hasn't been any trash pickup or street cleaning in quite a few areas. There are streetlights out in several places and an open fire hydrant." Emma was surprised that there were so many problems. After two days of fielding phone calls about dirty streets and lost paperwork and mail, Emma had forced her father to answer the phones. Apparently he had not felt it necessary to inform Snow or Emma or Snow just didn't care enough to fix the problem.

"What?!"

Kathryn nodded at the other blonde, keeping her eyes on Snow White. "The fire hydrant issue is being taken care of; I stopped by the fire station to tell them myself. A rep from the sanitation department says that you haven't approved their budget, which means they can't pay the workers, so said workers refuse to do their jobs. The same goes for the town repair men. No budget means no paycheck. No paycheck means no work. No work means Storybrooke falls into disarray."

Snow was silent. She had seen the budget forms, but hadn't signed them. In fact, she didn't even know what to do with them. She kept her head up, determined not to let her husband's ex see that she was ashamed.

Kathryn, however, could see through the new mother's false bravado. She came here with a purpose and she would see it through. "From this point on, I will be taking control of the Mayor's office. I might not be able to do this as well as Regina, but someone needs to fix your mistakes."

There was a chuckle from the sitting area of the office. All three women turned to see a third blonde in the room. Elsa was regally seated on one of the chairs facing the other three royals. "Sounds to me like you need Regina back."

"No, we don't!"

"Yes, we do!" Snow and Kathryn were both surprised to hear that Emma agreed with Kathryn in needing Regina.

"Emma, we're fine without her."

"No, we're not Snow," Emma shook her head. "Regina has been gone for barely a month and we are already on the verge of chaos."

"The people of this town might have hated Regina, but she kept the town in order, aside from all that magical crap," Kathryn added.

Emma turned her attention to the woman she had dubbed the Ice Queen after learning that the early winter was her doing. "Where is she?"

"I already told," Elsa answered with a shrug, "I don't know. The only way to even find out Regina's general location is to let go of your grudges, especially if she has more than made up for them."

Emma looked at her mother and fellow blonde princess and stated, "We need to go to Gold."

* * *

 

After gathering her family, including Red and Hook, Emma entered the pawn shop where Rumple, Belle, and surprisingly Elsa were waiting for them.

"Let it go, let it go!" Everyone turned to Elsa as she started singing. She looked up at their confused faces and smiled. "My apologies, I had the sudden urge to sing."

Gold rolled his eyes at the annoying ice witch and restated what Elsa had already told himself, his wife and Emma and Snow, "We need to let go of the grudges we hold against Regina. In all honesty Regina, Belle, and I have discussed our issue with each other and have forgiven each other for them."

Red was shocked by that information, which had been affirmed by Belle's nod, as the other woman had not told her about that particular conversation.

Rumple snapped his fingers and enough seating for the entire group appeared in the back room of the pawn shop. He had already closed the blinds and turned the sign in the window. He went to speak, but was interrupted by Elsa.

"How about you all tell everyone the grudges you hold and the ways in which Regina made up for them?"

Everyone looked around, avoiding Elsa's eyes, not wanting to be the first one to confess. Henry took a deep breath and decided to bite the bullet.

"The Curse," he looked around at his family, "that's like the biggest one."

"So has she made up for bringing you all here?"

Snow and David were quick to say no, but Red didn't agree. "Yes. She stopped that trigger thing and was willing to die to do so and she did all that stuff in Neverland, plus she saved Emma and Snow from the Enchanted forest."

"She absorbed a death curse so you guys could come through the portal," Henry added quietly.

Emma raised an eyebrow at her son, "Why didn't either you or your mom tell me about that part?"

Belle could see the young boy was ashamed of not telling his blonde mother the entire truth and chose to spare his feelings for a little longer, "She had me locked up in the asylum under the hospital during the curse."

"She never made up for that." Rumple scowled and spat the next portion of his answer, "The only reason she is still alive is because Belle wouldn't allow me to kill her."

"Regina also sided with her mother when Cora tried to take over," Snow threw in.

"Plus she put Henry under the Sleeping Curse," David added, hoping to pile on the cons before anyone could think of any pros.

Snow went to open her mouth again, but was cut off by her daughter. "Okay, stop. The whole Cora thing was made up for by Regina saving us from Zelena. She sided with her mother and redeemed herself by defeating her sister. And the Turnover Incident is between me, Henry, and his mother. "She gave a very pointed look to Henry, who seemed to have forgotten that last part in the past month. "Before you try to say anything about her not making up for that, she did. Regina-"

Emma was interrupted by the youngest Mills, "almost got herself killed trying to save us in Neverland." Henry looked up at his paternal grandfather, "You tried to have my mom killed. You sent the wraith to her to kill her, so you wouldn't get blamed for her death. I think that makes you even."

Elsa observed the faces of the pawn shop's occupants with a smirk. Rumplestiltskin seemed embarrassed that his grandson was aware of his misdeeds and that his wife now knew.

"It's all nice that you can recognize that Regina has done good and deserves to be forgiven, but you must remember what I said, you all have to let go in order to find out where she is."

"Why do all of us have to forgive her?" Red was willing to forgive Regina for everything, after the all the Curse gave her some reprieve from the constant nightmares and memories of the people she killed, the werewolf was just curious about why it took more than just Henry and Emma to find Regina.

"You are the closest people to her," Elsa rose from her seat at the desk, "While she may not show it, you all mean something to her, you have hurt her in some way or you have helped her. Regina used magic to escape and the magic chose the people that were supposed to find her. There is a reason you were drawn to the docks before Regina left, it had nothing to do with you trying to find Emma; the magic Regina used called to you. You were the ones meant to witness her leaving. The people of Storybrooke need to learn that Regina is not their scapegoat and you are the ones that need to make people see that."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard. The problems we've been having lately are things that Regina always kept in line." Snow looked at her so-called best friend. Red met her gaze straight on, unashamed of what she was about to say. "Snow you have been the cause of those problems and unfortunately very few people wanted to accept the fact that you cannot rule or lead a town as well as Regina."

"Red, you were a part of my kingdom," Snow White sounded offended that her friend thought she wasn't a good ruler.

"Yes, I was and I saw the way the people struggled to pay their taxes and feed their families. The only people that didn't really struggle were the nobles and the palace villages."

"What's a 'palace village'?" Henry asked.

"A small village that sits outside the gates of the ruling monarch's palace or castle," Elsa answered.

Belle added to the blonde's answer, "They are usually the most prosperous of the kingdom because they are the first to receive goods or the leftovers that come from the castle."

Emma sat back and watched the other people in the room. Red and Snow were quietly speaking off in a corner. Henry was still engaged in conversation with his grandfather's wife and Regina's friend. David was warily watching Rumple who was staring holes into the side of Elsa's head.

She made her decision right then, seeing her family and friends and feeling the very large void in her heart. Regina should have been there. The two of them should have been talking to Henry and her parents should have been engaged in a friendly conversation with their old werewolf friend.

"I forgive her," everyone in the room turned to Emma with varying looks of surprise. "I can't hold onto grudges anymore. Regina has made up for everything she has done and I'm going to let go."

"Mom?" Henry looked confused by his blonde mother's statement. He wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want to forgive Regina or if he was surprised that Emma was the first to speak up.

"Henry, you need your mother here. Hell, I need your mother here. This town needs Regina back. And I'm not about to wait another month and let this town fall to shit."

Red looked at her younger blonde friend then at the blonde witch standing with a growing smile. "I second the motion to let go of the grudges."

Henry smiled at his pseudo-godmother and raised his hand, "I third the motion."

Belle raised her hand as well. The brunette looked at her husband and leveled him with a very pointed looked. Gold met his wife's glare and knew that if he held onto the petty stuff he had against Regina that Belle would not forgive him. Plus, it would be a disadvantage to him if the town he half owned fell into was a victim of Snow White's incompetence. He hesitantly raised his hand.

David and Snow looked at each other, then at the other people in the room. Just before one of them could raise their hand and the other could protest, Deputy Mayor Blue burst through the front door of the pawn shop.

"We've got a blackout in the northern part of town. Town Hall and Granny's were hit. I need some help out here." The blonde lawyer looked like she had run all the way to the pawn shop from the mayor's office.

Emma shook her and turned to her mother. "Raise your damn hand Snow, so we can find Regina."

* * *

 

"They are starting to look more like knights every day." Regina, Mulan, and Aron were walking through the training fields near the dark Palace observing the former peasants who swore their loyalty to Regina. Mulan's warriors and Regina's knights had taken to training those that wished to fight against Midas and Armand. They were also practicing with the guards to hone their skills.

"Well, at this point they are," Aron responded, "They were all knighted weeks ago. All of these lovely men and women are the newest knights of the Dark Kingdom."

"And you, dear Aron, are the newest Captain of the Dark Knights," Regina said with a smile to the tall, long-limbed redhead man.

Aron returned his queen's smile before turning to his friend, "Will you be joining the knights for dinner tonight?"

Mulan glanced at the queen standing to her left before answering, "No, I will be dining with the queen this evening."

Aron raised his eyebrows; he could see the grin on the queen's face. The Chinese warrior and the queen had been having meals together since the Queen returned to the Enchanted Forest almost 2 months ago. "Well, then I will see the both of you tomorrow," Aron bowed to his queen before saluting his fellow knight, "I bid a good evening and pleasant dreams to you both."

The two women watched as the red-headed Captain walked away from them to finish overseeing the training sessions. After a couple more minutes of observing the knights, Regina turned around to head back into the palace. Mulan was by her side quickly and offering Regina her arm. The shorter woman slipped her hand into the crook of Mulan's elbow and led them to the royal dining room.

"Your majesty," Mulan started, she stopped when she saw the look on Regina's face. They had this discussion before; Mulan was allowed to address the queen by her name when they were alone. "I'm sorry, Regina. We have been spending a lot of time together since you have returned to rule your kingdom."

Regina nodded at the warrior's statement, "That we have. Have you figured out why I have not put a stop to the private meals and moments like I would if you were any other knight?"

"I have an inkling of what the answer might be."

They had reached the dining hall, where Mulan thoughtlessly opened the door, allowing her queen to enter.

Regina took her seat at the head of the table and waited for Mulan to take the seat to her right before replying. "You, my dear warrior, have been unintentionally courting your queen."

Brown eyes widened at the statement. Mulan had not thought of her time spent with Regina as Mulan courting the royal. Mulan opened her mouth, but her mind was blank.

"Don't be afraid, dear," Regina placed her hand over Mulan's on top of the table. "As I said, if you were any other knight I would have put a stop to this, in fact there would not have been any private moments between us."

Mulan straightened up and met Regina's gaze. "So how should we proceed?"

"Well, thing first thing I need to know is whether or not you are attracted to me," Regina continued before Mulan could interject, "Forget for a moment that I am the queen and that you are a knight. Right now we are just Mulan and Regina, two women who have been spending a lot of time together."

The Asian warrior considered Regina's words before replying, "Yes. I am attracted to you, Regina."

"Good, because I am attracted to you as well. It would be unfortunate if my accidental suitor didn't actually like me," Regina's smile was matched by her knight's. "In the Land Without Magic, in the time I came from, this would be the time where you ask me to be your girlfriend or vice versa. However, I'm a queen, so it is proper etiquette for you to ask."

Mulan chuckled, "Okay then. Your Majesty, Queen Regina Mills of the Dark Kingdom will you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course."

Mulan leaned over the corner of the table to kiss Regina, but the shorter woman turned her head causing Mulan's lips to land on her cheek. Regina gave her new girlfriend a shy smile.

After dinner was over, Mulan walked Regina to the queen's chambers, which were next door to Mulan's own. When they reached the door, Regina turned to the knight and spoke, "I never felt pride in giving up, but giving up gave me what I needed, not just what I wanted."


	2. I: Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This picks up some time after Part I. I didn't want it to be too long.

**Part II**

Regina stood in front of her army. Aron and Mulan stood by her sides, Mulan on her right. The queen was wearing her royal armor, identical to her Captain's and newly appointed General's, except Regina's was embroidered with white gold and the Dark Kingdom's emblem's was white rather than red. The army was larger than it was months before when they first engaged in a battle with Midas over the land ruled by Aurora and Phillip- who Regina learned were friends of Mulan. The king and queen chose to hand their kingdom to Regina, knowing she would lead the people better than they could. Regina told the two to stay as the prince and princess in their castle, to lead the people while Regina sat on the throne in her own palace.

The Dark Army was lined up in front of the gates of Armand's kingdom, land with which Regina was familiar. The land itself had not changed much from when her grandfather Xavier ruled. They were ready to take down Armand's excuse of an army and take over. The young king had relied too much on Midas and his army, who were currently falling to their knees at the hands of the Dark Knights. He would pay with his blood for trying to take what was Regina's.

"Are you ready?" Aron and Mulan knew Regina was asking them even though she never took her eyes off the rows of soldiers guarding the castle in front of them. They answered their queen by drawing their swords. Regina nodded and drew hers as well.

The Dark Queen raised her hand and signaled for the horsemen to move as she and the footmen charged forward.

* * *

 

It was over. They had conquered Armand's kingdom and taken down Midas. Regina sat atop her white, leather armored horse like the proud Queen she is. Her girlfriend and Aron rode alongside her with Midas and Armand in tow. Regina looked over her shoulder at the former kings with their hands tied to the backs of the horse of two knights.

As the impromptu parade of knights walked through the Dark Kingdom towards the palace, the people left in the villages cheered for their knights and queen and jeered at the two kings who thought they could step on the Dark Kingdom.

When they finally reached the palace, Regina had Armand and Midas placed on their knees in front of the palace doors. "These men have committed many crimes against this Kingdom," Regina's magically altered voice was heard amongst the crowd of villagers and knights- the entire population of the land- as she spoke. "Crimes committed against the people of this kingdom and against the crown and leaders of this kingdom are to be punished to the fullest extent of the laws of this land. Crimes against the people are punished with a consequence chosen by the people. So I ask you, people of the Dark Kingdom, those of you here from the kingdoms attacked by these men, how do you wish to punish them?"

There were immediate cries to burn them at the stake, beheadings, firing squad, and hangings. Regina let the people yell for a couple minutes before quieting them down. "Beheading sounds like the popular choice." Regina wanted the heads of the former kings on pikes and she would give her people what they want.

Regina held out her own sword as knights forced Midas and Armand to face the ground, still on their knees. When no one stepped forward to take the swords, the queen took that to mean that she should do the honours.

* * *

 

Regina sat on her throne as the royal priestess stood before her. Apparently the people had taken it upon themselves to declare new leaders for the now monarch-less Golden Kingdoms (Midas' land) and Armand's land, and chose the priestess to tell her. As long as the new rulers were incompetent or as self-absorbed as the last two, then she was willing to deal with them.

"Your Holiness," Regina addressed the priestess, "Have the people made their final decision on the future rulers of the chosen kingdoms?"

The blue-haired woman, red and gold robed woman bowed her head to the brunette on the throne, "Yes, they have. The people have also chosen to name the Kingdoms and wish to inform you of the names before informing you of the rulers."

The queen nodded at the older woman, "You may proceed with all the people have to say."

"The land formerly ruled by Armand and once ruled, by the grandfather Xavier of Queen Regina, shall be named," the priestess read from the parchment in her hand, "The Land of Jewels, due to the abundance of gems in the mines of the land. The land given to Queen Regina by Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip will be called the Forestlands, for the kingdom resides in the center of the Grey Woods." The woman glanced at the brunette seated on the throne.

"You may proceed," Regina stated with a slight wave of her hand. She sat up straighter in her seat and careful not to pull on the cape attached to the shoulders of the white armor she wore, while her black armor was being cleaned.

The priestess nodded, "The people of these kingdoms have chosen the Dark Queen Regina Mills to lead them."

Regina and the nobles and knights of the Dark Kingdom in the room gasped. No one had expected the people to choose Regina as their sole ruler. "Me? As in just me? The people want me to be their queen?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. In one month's time, as per the laws regarding royal successors, you shall be crowned the Queen of Gold, ruler of the Golden Kingdom, land of Midas; the White Queen, ruler of the White Kingdom, land of Snow White and Charming, formerly the land of George; Jewel Queen, ruler of the newly named Land of Jewels, land of Armand, formerly the land of Xavier; and Queen of the Forestlands, land of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip."

Regina was still in shock, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mulan nod at the priestess.

"There has been another request brought to my attention Your Majesty regarding your relationship with your Knight General Mulan."

"Do the people have an issue with my relationship?" Regina was willing to do a lot for her people, but she would not give up the happiness she had found with Mulan.

"No, dear Queen," the priestess glanced at the woman standing to Regina's right before continuing, "The request comes from Knight General Mulan."

Regina let out a small, surprised "oh."

"Knight General Fa Mulan, of the Dark Kingdom, makes a formal request for the Queen Regina's hand in marriage."

Mulan stepped down from the dais to stand just in front of the priestess facing Regina. The people present, there to Regina's reaction to their declaration and for the open court to be held afterwards, cheered as the knight knelt before their queen.

"Mulan," Regina's voice was quiet, "Do you really wish to marry me?" The brunette stood from her throne and took small, slow steps toward her girlfriend.

"Of course, my queen," Mulan kept her eyes on Regina's chocolate orbs, "There is nothing I want more than to be your wife and for you to be mine. I love you Queen Regina."

Regina placed her hand on Mulan's cheek and guided the woman to her feet. The queen kept eye contact with her warrior, her own eyes watering at the look of pure love and adoration in the knight's eyes. "Yes," she whispered.

"Yes? You will marry me?" Mulan's hopeful smile was infectious, spreading to Regina and the priestess, who had heard the quiet conversation between ruler and warrior.

"Yes, I will marry you Mulan," Regina repeated loud enough for the other to hear.

Loud cheers broke out in the room. Regina spotted a few people running from the room, knowing they were going to spread the news of their queen's impending nuptials.

Mulan and Regina smiled at each other. Mulan leaned in to kiss Regina's nose, before nuzzling it with her own. The two women had yet to kiss the other's lips, at Regina's request. Mulan figured the woman had her reasons and was willing to indulge her girlfriend, just as long as one day she got to kiss her love.

"The wedding, per General Mulan's request, will take place after the Queen's coronation, at a time of Queen Regina's choosing." The priestess gave Regina an expectant look, signaling to the woman that she should choose now.

"How about we make it a long celebration?" Regina glanced around the room. "The people can celebrate my coronation as well as our wedding. The wedding will be at the end of the week of my coronation."

Mulan smiled at her fiancée, glad that she wasn't making them wait a long time to be married. "That sounds perfect, my love."

* * *

 

Mulan stood with a smile on her face, looking into the brown eyes of her wife. She watched the swirls of purple and red magic in the shorter woman's eyes as Regina repeated her vows. Mulan had already said her and was waiting patiently, as was the bonding magic glowing around their joined hands. Regina had wanted to do an ancient magical bonding ritual in addition to the traditional Enchanted Forest ceremony and Mulan had no objections.

After hearing of the way Cora controlled her life, up until Regina got married and how Leopold controlled her after that, Mulan was not going deny Regina anything the queen wanted for their wedding.

Now, Regina was finished and the magic needed for the bond was swiftly moving up their arms and towards their hearts. If possible, Mulan's smile grew, her eyes still never leaving Regina's.

"I now pronounce you married," declared the priestess, smiling at the two women so entranced with each other she was sure they had not heard her speak. She looked out towards the people gathered in the gardens of The Forest Castle, the home of Aurora and Phillip. This castle had enough space to hold all the people who wished to see their queen and knight general joined in matrimony. The priestess could see the looks of anticipation on their faces; they were waiting for the official declaration of marriage. The holy woman raised her arms and spoke with a loud voice, "I present to you Queen Regina of the Enchanted Forest South and Queen-Consort Mulan."

Cheers broke out amongst the people. Regina and Mulan laughed and walked down the center aisle of the large field towards the castle. Aron stood on his chair in the first row and cheered the loudest of all present.

* * *

 

"So, you are the Dark Queen," Regina rolled her eyes at her wife, she knew exactly what was coming, "the Queen of Gold, White Queen, Jewel Queen, and Queen of the Forestlands. As well as, the wife of Knight General Mulan."

"Yes, yes, I know. That is exactly why my title has been shortened to Queen of the Enchanted Forest South. I was lucky that all the kingdoms resided in one region," Regina chuckled. Mulan had been making references to all of her titles since Regina's coronation. The warrior had taken to calling her by a different name for the past 5 days and had just added the latest title of Wife. Apparently the knight had not considered the title she would have after marrying the queen and the joining of the kingdoms. "But have you thought about what that makes you?"

"No," Mulan's answer was hesitant.

"You are Mulan, General of the Dark, White, Golden, and Bejeweled Knights, Queen-Consort of the Dark, White, Golden, and Jewel kingdoms, and Queen-Consort of the Forestlands. You official titles outnumber mine."

Mulan groaned. Aron, who was seated next to Mulan at the head table in the largest ballroom of the castle, spoke up hoping to lift his friend's spirits again. "But those title can be shortened. You can be the General of the Knights of the Enchanted South and Queen-Consort of the same. If the queen can have a shortened title, so can her wife."

Aron threw a smile at Regina. The woman shook her head and smiled back at her young friend.

Mulan abruptly stood stepped away from her chair to Regina's side. She extended her hand to her wife and silently asked for a dance.

As the two women approached the dance the floor, a path was cleared for them. Mulan pulled the shorter woman close and the two began to move in practiced motions around the floor. The cape of Mulan's new white, Royal armor flowing behind her, as the bottom half of Regina's wedding gown flowed behind the queen, both pieces of material barely grazing the sparkling marble floor.

Regina, who was eye-level with Mulan due to her heels, looked into her wife dark eyes and gave a small smile, which Mulan returned, before leaning forward, their forehead softly meeting.

"I love you, my dear warrior."

"And I love you, my Queen."

They leaned in a little more and allowed their lips to meet for the first time. Both women had their eyes closed and were too caught up in their own world to see the bright light glowing around them nor hear the screams and sound of water splashing on the floor.

* * *

 

"We need Regina." That single statement haunted Snow White's dreams. It was bad enough that her supposed best friend and her daughter didn't believe she could lead, but now the majority of the town wanted Regina back. Why in the world would they want the Evil Queen to lead them, when they had her? Snow turned over in her bed, with her back to her husband, the same husband who had decided to forgive Regina, silently at least.

David was asleep and Snow was no longer facing him so neither noticed the flurry of snowflakes floating towards, and ultimately falling on David's face.

In the apartment below them, the same thing was happening to Emma and Henry. In the house beside the B&B, Red was experiencing the same. The sleeping forms of Rumplestiltskin and Belle were also being met with the magical looking snow. Hook sneezed as he inhaled some of the snowflakes in his sleep.

Regina stood in the meeting room of the Golden Kingdom, wearing a suit and the trench coat she was wearing when she first landed in the Enchanted Forest. She looked around the large gold covered room, before suddenly turning as the doors opened. In the open doorway stood, several knights, adorned with gold armor, and Mulan, wearing black armor with a golden apple tree engraved in the breastplate.

"Come. We will be heading back to the Forestlands now," Mulan's voice left no room for argument. Regina followed behind the female knight, who had left the room. The Golden Knights surrounded the small woman as they lead her out of the metal castle.

Everyone, but Snow awoke with a start, their faces sprinkled with cold droplets of water. They now knew where Regina was. However, new question had surfaced: How were they going to get to her?

The Charming family made their way to Granny's where Elsa was seated in a booth across from Ruby. Gold and Belle were at a nearby table, seated so that Gold didn't have to see Elsa. Hook was seated at the booth beside Red's on the edge of his seat.

Snow had not told her husband or daughter that she had not had the same dream they did. She realized, after Emma told her she had had the exact same dream as David, that they had all forgiven Regina and were granted the gift of learning the brunette's location. Snow wasn't going to admit that she had not let of the grudges she held. She was just going to tag along to the Enchanted Forest and confront Regina there.

"Well, seeing as how you are all here, I can go about watching as you all try to figure out how to get to Regina," Elsa had a smirk on her face as she spoke. Red rolled her eyes at her new friend.

"So, you can't help us get to Fairy Tale Land?" Emma asked, hoping that they didn't have to wait another 8 months before they saw Regina again.

"No," Elsa answered simply.

"Everything that happens is up to Regina at this point," Red elaborated. She had already had this discussion with the ice queen and knew what to say, "It was our job to find out where she is and now it's Regina's job, to open the door to let us in."

"Does she know we want to see her?" David asked. If she did, there was a very large possibility that Regina would bolt that door shut and declare it forbidden to even look at.

"It's likely that she doesn't," Gold replied, "The magic she used didn't even tell Regina where she was going, and so I doubt that it would tell her anything at all.

Elsa felt a pulse of magic and rose from the booth and headed out the door of the diner. The Good Guys stood and followed after the blonde.

Tinkerbell, who had been in the diner as well, saw the group leave and decided to follow.

They stopped when Elsa reached the docks. The blonde peered down into the still frozen water. It was glowing where the portal was located and the ice was beginning to crack and melt.

Emma stepped up alongside the other blonde, Henry attached to his mother's arm. All three pairs of eyes widened as they realized the portal was opening back up.

"The door is open," Elsa said as she stepped back from the edge, leaving mother and son. The rest of the group moved forward, unsure of how to proceed. "Don't you find it ironic that the Evil Queen used snow to help herself?"

Emma looked back over her shoulder, "That's not funny Elsa."

"Irony is always funny to the people it's not happening to and I find it hilarious." Elsa moved forward once again until she was standing just behind Red, who stood at the rear of the cluster. They were almost on top of each other trying to see the portal and didn't notice what Elsa was doing until they were falling into the ice cold water and being pulled into the portal.

After pushing the 8 people off the dock, Elsa turned and strolled back in to town, heading for town hall.

She didn't see the fairy jump into the water.

* * *

 

The Charmings and the Golds and Red and fell onto the water-covered marble floor in a heap from the slowly closing portal in the ceiling.

The people in the ballroom gasped, their heads swiveling between the pile of wet humans and the royal couple still attached at the mouth.

A groan was heard from the bottom of the group, before and woman could be heard speaking, "Get off of me!"

The people on top slowly started move away from one another. Many of the people in the room gasped once again at who they saw. Snow White and David, the former rulers- for some of them at least- and Rumplestitlskin had returned to the Enchanted Forest.

Regina and Mulan finally broke apart for air, but kept eye contact, smiles adorning their faces. Some of the people noticed that their queen and consort were not pay attention to the intruders and signaled for the guards.

The guards, clad in brown leather armor, stood guard around their leaders and few raised their weapons towards the wet humans, still on the floor, though the weapons were mostly focused on the Dark One.

The royals finally tuned in to the world around them as they were surrounded by their guards. Regina peered over the shoulders of the guards to see her son, his mother and her family lying on the floor, holding various body parts and groaning.

Mulan released her wife with a confused frown. She touched the shoulders of the closest 2 guards and the men immediately separated, allowing space for Queen and General to move. "What is the meaning of this?"

Snow looked up to see her old friend Mulan, standing over her wearing white armor, with an apple tree on the breastplate, she found it odd that the apple tree was properly colored with browns and greens and reds. Snow found it even odder that Regina was clad in an equally white dress with a crown on her head.

Emma spoke before her mother could open her mouth, "We came to see Regina."

Aron, who had moved down from the head table, pulled a dagger from his belt, pointing the black blade in Emma's face, "You will address the Queen by her proper title or you will lose your tongue."

Emma cringed recoiled at the threat.

Regina quickly stepped between her Knight Captain and her adopted son's mother. "There is no need for that. They are not aware of my current station. I doubt they even know where they are." Regina gave Emma a look telling her to continue speaking.

Emma hesitated before speaking again, "The portal you opened to get here opened up again. We came through to see you and talk about what's been going on since you left."

Mulan chose to speak this time. "Get up and come with us. You have disrupted enough of our celebration." Regina and Mulan moved in sync towards the doors out of the ballroom. Regina casually waved her hand, removing all of the water from the floor and people as they exited the room.

The couple walked to Regina's study, the Storybrooke resident trailing behind them.

The now-dry group sat in the chairs surrounding a large wooden table, with Regina on her throne at the head and Mulan standing beside her, choosing not to sit at the other end of the table.

"Storybrooke is a mess." Red saw no reason to beat around the bush, "Ever since you left, the town has gone to shit."

"You have a deputy mayor for a reason," Regina responded.

"We know, but someone," Red gave a pointed look at Snow, "refused to let Kathryn do her job and just made everything worse."

"You never meant to rule a kingdom."

"Who are you to say that to me?!" Snow rose to her feet, "You stole my kingdom from me!"

"Your father wouldn't have given you the crown until you married," Regina replied. She wasn't going to yell at Snow and encourage the impending tantrum, "You were always supposed to marry a prince, who knew how to run a kingdom. That's why your father spoiled you, it was so he didn't have to teach you how to run a kingdom. I made Kathryn my second for that exact reason. She is the only other person, who knows how to run anything fairly. Gold is too shady, Belle is too timid, Emma is too impatient, and David was an impostor."

"Take your seat, Snow White," Mulan said quietly, her hand on her sword.

Everything was quiet for a few minutes.

"Did you get married?" Regina turned her attention from Mulan to Henry, not expecting the question from him.

"Yes, Mulan and got married today."

Red saw the colors flashing off the multi-colored jewels encrusted into the obsidian band on Mulan's hand. "Nice ring, Queen-Consort."

"Consort? Queen of what?" Hook asked.

"Officially? The Enchanted Forest South," Regina answered.

"Is that the name of the kingdom?" Henry questioned.

"No," Mulan chose to speak this time, "That is the name of the combined kingdoms of the southern half of the land. The 5 southernmost kingdoms of the Enchanted Forest."

"Wait, aren't there only 10 kingdoms in the EF? So that makes you two the Queens of half of Fairy Tale Land," Emma was surprised that Regina was once again the queen of anything. The stories she had heard led her to believe that Regina was hated by everyone.

"I am queen, Mulan is Queen-consort," Regina continued before Henry could ask anything, "A consort is the spouse of a ruling monarch. I was crowned queen before the wedding, so Mulan does not have the power of a monarch, but she is seen as one."

"Let's back up for a second," David spoke for the first time, "The 'five most southern kingdoms' includes the White kingdom. The people never would have let you take over."

"Did you wage war against a land with no ruler?" Snow asked outraged at the idea. She hoped Regina had, so she could take back her kingdom. Snow had completely forgotten about Storybrooke.

Mulan chuckled, "Of course not. When Regina returned to this realm, the people of both the Dark and the White kingdoms requested that she lead them in the war against Midas and Armand, the son of the man who took Regina's grandfather's kingdom. They all wanted Regina to be their queen, she had no idea; it was a surprise to all of the court."

"Great, now that you're queen and all, can you help Storybrooke?" Emma just wanted the place she could finally call home to be whole once again. "I get that you can't just up and leave since you just got married and what not, but can you at least give us some advice about what to do? We didn't really have a plan prior to showing up here," Emma shrugged.

"You make it sound like we didn't get pushed into an underwater portal," Red retorted.

"The portal opened?" Regina asked.

"Yes, you and your True Love opened it back up." Everyone turned to the corner of the room, noticing Tink for the first time. The fairy had been with them since their arrival in the castle and somehow had gone unseen, regardless of the fact that she was flying.

"True Love?"

"Yes," the fairy nodded enthusiastically, "You shared True Love's First Kiss and reopened the portal. We never saw Mulan because my fairy dust didn't extend to the Land Without Magic."

"Congratulations Regina," the brunette turned her attention to the owner of the accented voice, her former mentor's wife, "You have your crown, your true love, and people that respect you. You led them through war and came out on top. You needed to be here, more than you need to be in Storybrooke, being disrespected and ignored by the citizens there."

"You deserve everything you have," Gold added to his wife's statement.

Regina smiled at the Good Guys and Hook. While she wouldn't be going back to Maine anytime soon, she would help them keep the town in order and how to help Kathryn. It wasn't that hard for her to ignore the offended and angry pout on Snow's face- ever the stubborn little girl. Regina let go of Mulan's hand, she had been holding it the entire time, and gestured for her wife to take her seat on the throne opposite her at the table. "Thank you. Now tell me, what have you done to my town?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this includes Regina giving up, then the Good Guys giving up and eventually getting some closure.
> 
> Some of these stories might be open-ended or don't end with forgiveness/closure.
> 
> I am taking prompts and suggestions for this collection, as long as it is fits with the definition of "concede" (the summary).


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